Elected Leadership
Palm Beach County uses this type of charter, giving it broad local authority as long as county ordinances do not conflict with Florida law or the Florida Constitution.
What is a Home Rule Charter ?
This seven-member body serves as Palm Beach County’s primary elected governing board and makes decisions on budgets, ordinances, land use, services, and long-term policy.
What is the Board of County Commissioners?
Palm Beach County provides these major public services, including fire rescue, emergency management, parks, libraries, roads, utilities, planning, housing programs, and environmental protection.
Who is the county administrator?
Residents can do this by attending meetings, speaking during public comment when allowed, contacting commissioners, reviewing agendas, watching broadcasts, serving on advisory boards, and requesting public records.
How can residents participate in county government?
A longtime Palm Beach County commissioner and a former Delray Beach city commissioner, resigned in 2009 and pleaded guilty to honest-services fraud. The case involved benefits connected to companies doing business with the county and votes that created conflicts of interest tied to her husband’s business relationships
What was the Mary McCarty scandal?
Palm Beach County’s Home Rule Charter was approved by voters in this year’s general election and took effect the following year.
What is 1984?
County commissioners are elected from these districts, where each commissioner must live in the district they represent and voters in that district choose their commissioner.
What are single-member districts?
County law enforcement is provided through this independently elected office, which serves many unincorporated areas and may also serve municipalities through agreements.
What is the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office?
Board meetings are typically held at this downtown West Palm Beach government building located at 301 North Olive Avenue
What is the Robert Weisman Palm Beach County Governmental Center?
This label grew out of a wave of public-corruption cases involving elected officials and insiders. Investigative reporting and federal probes led to guilty pleas by multiple public officials and political figures, including county commissioners and a lobbyist, making ethics reform a major PBC county issue.
What was Corruption County?
The adoption of the Home Rule Charter gave Palm Beach County more ability to address local issues without first seeking special approval from this state-level body.
What is the Florida Legislature?
County commissioners serve these staggered terms, which help maintain continuity because not all seats are up for election at the same time.
What are four-year terms?
These independently elected officials include the sheriff, clerk and comptroller, tax collector, property appraiser, supervisor of elections, state attorney, and public defender.
What are constitutional officers?
The Board generally holds these gatherings on scheduled dates throughout the year, with agendas posted before the meetings and items such as public hearings, consent items, presentations, and public comment.
What are regular Board meetings and workshops?
This PBC office was was created by the voters to detect and prevent waste, fraud, and abuse in county and municipal government. Its work includes audits, investigations, hotline complaints, and reports on questionable spending or misconduct.
What is the Office of Inspector General?
This county planning document helps guide land use, development, infrastructure, and environmental impacts, especially in unincorporated areas.
What is the Comprehensive Plan?
County commissioners are limited to this number of consecutive four-year terms, encouraging leadership rotation while still allowing time to work on major priorities.
What are two consecutive terms?
During emergencies such as hurricanes, flooding, severe weather, and public health events, the county coordinates preparedness, response, recovery, public information, shelters, evacuation planning, and partner communication through this function.
What is emergency management?
The sixth-floor Commission Chambers at the Governmental Center are also known by this memorial name.
What are the Jane M. Thompson Memorial Chambers?
This PBC office established by the voters is to promote public trust in local government by enforcing ethics rules, advising public officials and employees, educating them about ethical standards, and helping prevent conflicts of interest, misuse of office, and improper gifts or benefits.
What is the PBC Commission on Ethics?
These areas are outside any city, town, or village and often rely directly on county government for zoning, code enforcement, fire rescue, road maintenance, libraries, parks, and other services.
What are unincorporated areas?
This commissioner, selected by fellow Board members, presides over commission meetings and represents the county in a ceremonial and leadership capacity while continuing to vote as a commissioner.
Who is the county mayor?
This Board-selected official performs the mayor’s duties when the mayor is unavailable, helping meetings and official functions continue without interruption.
Who is the vice mayor?
These documents are posted before Board meetings so residents can review items scheduled for discussion or action.
What are agendas?
This Inspector General report and media coverage described failures by city utility officials to properly report water-contamination problems. The controversy raised public-health concerns and highlighted the importance of timely disclosure and regulatory compliance.
What is the Riviera Beach Water Contamination controversy?